Flame gas burner diffuser for cooking equipments

ABSTRACT

The present invention generally refers to a flame gas burner diffuser to be used in stove-type cooking equipments, more preferably in household stoves, comprising technical and functional features capable of improving the efficiency of exchanging heat with the bottom of cooking utensils. More particularly, said diffuser, according to the present invention, comprises a cup ( 1 ) provided with a surface ( 4 ) comprising an opening ( 2 ) at which a cooking equipment is accommodated, wherein over said surface ( 4 ) there is a series of barriers ( 3 ) duly arranged and positioned so as to form passage pathways and/or extended channels for allowing the hot gas flow generated by the burner flame to pass.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally refers to a flame gas burner diffuserused in cooking equipments, more preferably in household stoves,comprising technical and functional features capable of improving theefficiency of burners. More particularly, said diffuser, according tothe present invention, comprises a structure provided with passages orchannels formed on the surface over which a cooking utensil bottom ofthe cooking equipment rests, thereby increasing heat transfer levels.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Stoves and cooking equipments known in the art usually comprise a seriesof burners upon which cooking utensils are disposed, wherein aconfiguration of said burners is intended to produce a flame capable ofheating the utensil bottom and, preferably, such heating must be asuniform as possible.

Thus, in order to improve the state-of-the-art burners, one may notethat cooking equipment manufacturers are trying to develop parts andfittings for such equipments which, in any way, are capable ofpositively influencing their functioning, either in relation toefficiency, practicality and economy or conditions of heating saidcooking utensils.

Burners provided with grills comprising elements and configurationswhich try to help to conduct and distribute flame and hot gas flow undercooking utensils are known from the state of the art, such as, forexample, the following documents: U.S. Pat. No. 5,701,881 that disclosesgrate for non-domestic burners containing some shields which, however,only aim at accommodating the material to be incinerated without,however, maximizing circulation of the heated gas; and US PatentApplication 2003-232300, which refers to a microcombustion device usedin the manufacture of semiconductors. Nevertheless, said devicecomprises upper and lower closed surfaces intended to render uniform thetemperature on the heat emission surfaces instead of aiming at utilizingthe heated flow beneath a cooking surface.

Hence, up to now, it can be verified that burners used in cookingequipments known in the art could be improved, especially relative totheir efficiency in exchanging heat with a cooking utensil. Morespecifically, it can be observed that such cooking equipments lackburners capable of conducting a suitable—maximized—heat distributionunder the utensil bottom, thereby resulting in low heat efficiency. Thisleads to a high consumption of fuels, mainly to a great heat loss to theatmosphere.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, one object of the invention is to provide a flame gasdiffuser to be applied in burners of cooling equipments in general,where said diffuser is capable of significantly enhancing the heatexchange efficiency, thus improving those state-of-the art burners.

More preferably, an object of the present invention is to provide acombustion gas diffuser comprising technical features, which allow for auniform, prolonged and more suitable circulation of such gases under thebottom of cooking utensils before they are expelled to the atmosphere.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a diffusercomprising barriers spread out over an upper surface, wherein saidbarriers are disposed such that they form pathways or channels so as toretard the passage of a flow gas generated when fuel is being burned bythe burners.

A further object of the invention is to provide a flame gas diffuserthat is capable of extending the time period at which gases generated byburners are kept in contact with an utensil bottom, thereby making theheat transfer as high as possible.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the foregoing, in order to achieve these objects andtechnical effects, the present invention refers to a combustion gasdiffuser, which enhances the functioning of burners disposed at cookingequipments, wherein said diffuser comprises at least a body providedwith at least a surface comprising at least an opening for accommodatinga burner, and further comprising a plurality of barriers disposed on thesurface. In this sense, barriers are arranged such that they formpassage multi-pathways for allowing the hot gas flow generated by theburner flame to pass, wherein at least one passage pathway starts at theproximities of the opening and terminates at the outer radial end of thesurface.

According to the present invention, said barriers can comprise archedsegments, linear segments, triangular segments or also spiral segments.Anyway, said barriers comprise means for reducing the gas flow rate fromthe burner output up to the outmost edge of the cooking utensil.

Optionally, said diffuser of the present invention can be applied to aconventional or cooktop stove-type cooking equipment.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The formerly disclosed features, advantages and technical effects of thepresent invention will be better understood by a person skilled in theart based on the exemplary and non-limited detailed description givenbelow concerning preferred embodiments, and making reference to appendedschematic figures, wherein:

FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a perspective view of exemplary embodiments ofthe flame gas diffuser; and

FIGS. 3 and 6 illustrate a plain view the flame gas diffuser.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

According to the above-mentioned schematic figures, the flame gasdiffuser, in accordance with the present invention, comprises a cup 1provided with a central opening 2 at which the cooking equipment burneris disposed, wherein on the surface 4 of said cup 1 barriers 3 aredisposed, wherein said barriers are duly arranged and positioned inorder to promote an extended passage pathways and channels for allowingthe hot gas flow generated by the burner to pass.

As can be seen from the attached figures, it is possible to carry out anumber of variations in the configurations concerning disposition andarrangement of said barriers 3. More particularly, FIGS. 1 to 4illustrate mere examples of configurations, in which said barriers 3 arein a form capable of retaining or interrupting, at least partially, thecontinuous gas flow generated by the burner flame. In other words, saidbarriers 3 are intended to disturb or whirl the gas flow beneath thecooking utensil bottom, causing reduction in the speed of this flow and,as a result, the time period that such gases are kept in contact withsaid cooking utensil is increased as well as the levels and efficiencyof exchanging heat therewith.

In this regard, it is noted that barriers 3 form passage pathways and/orextended channels for allowing the hot gas flow generated by the burnerflame to pass. In reality, such pathways are integrally defined by thecomposition between barriers 3, surface 4 and (not shown) lower face ofthe (not shown) cooking utensil. Optionally, said lower face of thecooking utensil can be substituted by a plate disposed between saidbarriers 3.

As previously mentioned, the attached figures depict exemplaryembodiments of the diffuser of the present invention. In this sense,FIG. 1 shows an embodiment in which said barriers 3 have an arched shapeor spherically arched shape, which are disposed such that the flame gasflow is partially or substantially retained or interrupted in such waythat it is constrained to pass through areas or spaces between saidbarriers 3 prior to being expelled to the outside. FIG. 2 illustrates anembodiment in which said barriers 3 comprise prevalently triangularshape, which are also disposed so as to maximize the hot air circulationand permanence under the cooking utensil. FIG. 3 refers to an embodimentcomprising barriers 3 formed by substantially straight segments andspaced therebetween.

FIG. 4 shows another exemplary embodiment, in which barriers 3 areformed by substantially elliptical segments which are disposed so as toblock the direct passage of heated air of segments proximal to theburner.

In an alternative embodiment of the diffuser in accordance with thepresent invention, a central opening 2 disposed at body 1 can be the ownburner of a cooking utensil. According to said embodiment, a burnerstructure itself comprises a diffuser formed by a body 1 whose uppersurface is provided with a series of barriers 3, which are duly arrangedand positioned in order to form passage pathways and channels forallowing the hot gas flow generated by the burner flame to pass.

In another alternative embodiment, a surface 4 of the body 1 can beconstituted by a texture forming a non-smooth surface, that is, it hassome grooves or protuberances which can help to retain water or reducespeed of gases.

Clearly, despite the fact that the attached figures illustrateembodiments whose cup 1 is circular, this shape is not essential, sinceit will exclusively depend on the design and aesthetical basicdecoration required by a cooking equipment.

Further it is possible to provide a flame gas diffuser whose barriers 3comprise combining and mixing shapes, for example, barriers in archedform combined with triangular form, or a segmented form combined withsinuous form, etc.

1. Flame gas diffuser for cooking equipments, comprising at least a cup(1) containing a surface (4) provided with at least an opening (2) foraccommodating a burner, CHARACTERIZED in that it comprises: a pluralityof barriers (3) disposed over said surface (4); said barriers (3) beingpositioned so as to form passage multi-pathways (5) for allowing the hotgas flow generated by the burner flame to pass; and at least a passagepathway (5), which starts in the proximities of said opening (2) andterminates at the outer radial edge of said surface (4).
 2. Diffuser, inaccordance with claim 1, CHARACTERIZED in that said barriers (3)comprise means for reducing the gas flow speed from the burner output upto the outmost edge of the cooking utensil.
 3. Diffuser, in accordancewith claim 1, CHARACTERIZED in that said barriers (3) comprise archedsegments.
 4. Diffuser, in accordance with claim 1, CHARACTERIZED in thatsaid barriers (3) comprise linear segments.
 5. Diffuser, in accordancewith claim 1, CHARACTERIZED in that said barriers (3) comprisetriangular segments.
 6. Diffuser, in accordance with claim 1,CHARACTERIZED in that said barriers (3) comprise spiral segments. 7.Diffuser, in accordance with any of claims 1 to 6, CHARACTERIZED in thatsaid surface (4) of body (1) comprises a substantially wrinkled texture.8. Diffuser, in accordance with claim 1, CHARACTERIZED in that it isapplied in a conventional or cooktop stove-type cooking equipment.